A Hero's Journey of Dark and Light
by It's-Teatime-Somewhere
Summary: It was, Arthur would later assume, all Merlin's fault. If he had been a better fighter, Arthur wouldn't have had to cut training short, he wouldn't have gone back to his chambers, and he wouldn't have found the note that would change his life forever.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Hello there! Here's m first fll-length Merlin fic! Yeah, exciting I know! (well maybe not for you, but for me:). Thanks to my beta for this story, Imperial Mint (check out her stuff, it's amazing!) for fixing my American-ness to make me seem British (among other things)! **

**DISCLAIMER: Me? Merlin? We can only dream...and Valentine's Day is tomorrow so maybe I'll get Bradley James wrapped up! :D **

**Without further ado...the story!**

**The Call**

Arthur walked up the stairs with a sort of annoyance. Merlin, that bumbling servant, had been helping with practice, but had claimed a "headache from the amount of times Arthur had bashed him with a sword" and left. It wasn't his fault that the skinny idiot couldn't hold a sword to save his life, yet he had somehow managed to get Arthur to stop training.

The blond-haired prince pushed open the doors of his magnificent chambers, their red curtains letting the midday light in. He saw that the room was immaculate, and gave a small smile.

_Maybe he's not entirely useless, _he thought, thinking of the dark-haired boy. As annoying as he sometimes was, Merlin was always blunt with him and, sometimes even wise. Arthur could always count on him for a truthful answer, even if he didn't want to hear it.

Arthur took off his armour and let it clatter to the floor, falling face down onto his bed. He could have fallen asleep right there, trying to forget about the council meetings he had to go to, but a faint sizzle made him sit back up. He quickly and silently, with the moves of a man who had spent his entire life training to hunt, grabbed his sword and moved up against his dresser. Listening fiercely, he heard another faint crackle, but before he could discern its placement, Merlin came barging in.

"Never," he said, huffing and puffing, "make me clean up all of the equipment again."

Arthur sighed in exasperation at this inopportune moment.

"Merlin," he said, turning to his servant. "Have you seen any mice around here?"

"No..." Merlin replied, giving his master an odd look. "Why? Want a new pet?"

"Of course not. Obnoxious, mice are. I just heard something and thought it might be an animal."

"Ah, of course," Merlin said, sarcastically picking up the prince's armour. "Because every little sound is a vicious little mouse out to destroy you."

"You don't understand! Those little buggers are going to be the death of us all!" Arthur cried in return, remembering the time in his childhood where a mouse had nibbled off half of his hair during the night to use for its nest. That had been possibly the most embarrassing moment of his life, being forced to tell his father why his hair had been mutilated.

Merlin chuckled. "Oh, what a story! Prince Arthur, heir to Camelot, afraid of mice!"

"Shut it. Don't you have my armour to clean or stables to muck out?" Arthur said, and Merlin's smile disappeared.

"You're evil," Merlin muttered, walking out of the room to go clean.

Arthur smiled as Merlin left. He would never admit it, but he really did love their banter, as un-princely as it was.

As he was mulling over his thoughts, he heard it again. This time, however, he knew where it was coming from. Darting his eyes to a corner near the window, he saw it.

A small scrap of paper, no larger than his hand, was sizzling with a small flame. Strangely, however, the paper wasn't burning up. It just sat there, the flames blazing over it. Arthur walked over, cautious at the obvious-looking magic. Any sane man would have gone to the king, or at least gotten some guards, but Arthur's curiosity overwhelmed him.

As he neared the parchment, the flames went out with a hiss. Picking up the undamaged paper, he noticed a flowing script on it, words almost jumping out at him. Every inch of his being told him to drop this, that it was obviously sorcery, but something compelled him to read it.

_Two sides of the same coin,  
>Light and dark, their powers are joined,<br>Light of acceptance, darkness of trust,  
>Lest all of Camelot be reduced to dust,<br>Blessed by many, and owned by none  
>Retrieve the chalice and burn the sun.<br>A new age is coming, brings changing tides  
>The Once and Future King with Emrys at his side,<br>Pull Albion together, with the knights four,  
>Shall kill the Demon-Witch, and return peace forevermore.<em>

Arthur read through the cryptic message once again wondering what on earth it could mean. Obviously, from what he could comprehend, two people, with the help of four knights, would need to kill some Demon-Witch and find a chalice, as well as 'burn the sun', as odd as that sounded, to return peace and unite all of Albion. However, something still seemed off. Who was this Emrys fellow? And the light and dark news sounded suspicious, as did the whole being 'reduced to dust' bit. Arthur knew he needed some help, but also knew if he went to the king, Uther would laugh it off.

"MERLIN!" he cried, and less than five minutes later, the lanky boy came running in.

"What, Sire?" Merlin asked, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I was just about to muck out the stables. Surely you can't have something worse for me."

"Read this," Arthur said, shoving the paper at him and ignoring his protests. He watched Merlin shrewdly, looking as the deep blue eyes darted across the page. At one point, he saw those eyes grow wide with fear, almost as if they had seen a ghost, but then they returned to normal.

"What do you make of it?" he asked when Merlin looked back at him.

"Do you want me to say what I think? Or what I should say?" he asked, giving Arthur a cautious look.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, surprised.

"Well, if I was a good servant," Arthur snickered at the word, "I would tell you it's a load of riddles, probably nothing important."

"And your thoughts?" Arthur prodded. Merlin looked surprised at the prince but continued.

"I think it's a sign. Actually, I think it may be a prophecy. I'll have to talk to Gaius, but it sounds familiar."

"A prophecy?" Arthur said incredulously, "It can't be! Prophecies don't exist."

"Well," Merlin said cautiously. "Let me show this to Gaius. He'll know what to do, that is, unless you don't care about it."

"Merlin, that thing was sitting in the corner, on fire, and seems to be some prophecy. Of course I want to know what it means!" Arthur nearly shouted as Merlin smiled.

"Someone seems testy. That mouse still out to get you?"

"MERLIN!" Arthur bellowed, chucking the nearest object, a pewter mug, at Merlin as he fled from the room.

Merlin rushed out of Arthur's room, not sure how much longer he could hold up the carefree facade. As he had read the prophecy, he had nearly gasped at 'Emrys'. He needed information, and fast.

Nearly sprinting, he hurried into Gaius' chambers, where the wizened old man was brewing a potion.

"Gaius!" he cried, trying to catch his breath. "Read!"

The old man grabbed the paper and began to scan it, gasping as well.

"Where did you get this?" he asked tensely. "Where, Merlin?"

"Arthur found it, in the corner on fire. Is it a prophecy?"

"I fear so, and one of the oldest. The druids have been speaking of this one for quite some time. The Emrys is one of the most famed warlocks in their legends."

"Gaius," Merlin said hesitantly. "I'm Emrys."

Gaius just gaped at his ward. "How can you be? Don't get me wrong, Merlin, you truly are an amazing sorcerer, but are you sure you can be the one?"

"He is told to have a connection with the Once and Future King, who the druids believe is Arthur. When I went to see them, and with Freya, they talked about me being Emrys. Mordred also said it, and Kilgharrah."

Gaius gave Merlin a shrewd look, but the boy's eyes shone with truth.

"Truly?" Merlin nodded. "That's incredible! Well, if you are the most powerful warlock ever, you'll need something more than that ratty old spellbook."

"Wait, you believe me?" Merlin asked incredulously. Gaius began to scan the bookshelves.

"Of course, Merlin. I trust you. Ah," he said, pulling a book from the shelf. The book was old, but in pristine condition. Its bindings were wrapped in golden bands, and an intricate, golden leaf graced the cover. The pages were bound with shining golden roots, trailing off the leaf. With care, Gaius handed it to Merlin.

"This is one of the oldest spell books I have. It's called The Book of Lore, and has the history of magic and all spells inside it. I have no doubt that some of these might be too advanced for you, even if you are Emrys, but in time, you will learn them all."

"Gaius," Merlin choked up, feeling a rush of affection for the fatherly man. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me, open it! I haven't been able to, the spell is much too advanced for me, but you might have better luck."

"What is it?" Merlin asked, flipping the book around in his hands.

"Concentrate, Merlin, and it will come to you."

Merlin heeded his words and began to focus on the book. He felt its leather outside and the soft metal of its gold. He listened for the sound of rustling pages and the musty smell associated with it. He felt the magic buzzing around the book, and suddenly, the spell popped into his head.

_"__Æ__týnan bóc sylfum ældu." _Merlin's eyes flashed golden and he felt the bindings slowly begin to peel away, eventually receding all the way back into the leaf. With that, he opened the book and almost fainted.

The power that the book held, all of the magic and knowledge it contained, was too much for the young warlock. He dropped the book, and it lay face down on the dusty floor as he caught his breath.

"Merlin," Gaius asked, concerned. "Are you alright?"

"The book...so much power..." Merlin got out before he felt the need to sit down. As he eased himself onto the wooden bench, he caught his breath and began to speak.

"There's so much in there, I don't know if I can handle it."

"You need to open your mind, Merlin. You're not letting any new information in, just retaining the old. Try again," Gaius pushed.

Cautiously, as if it would eat his hand, Merlin picked up the book. He turned the page once more, but this time he strained to keep his mind open, accepting the power instead of pushing it away.

As if he was seeing the light for the first time, Merlin felt the magic radiating from the book. However, this time, the magic was useful, and Merlin felt it embed itself in his mind. He learnt so much in those few seconds, so much history and spells, that when he looked up, he felt as if he had run five leauges.

"That's all for tonight, Gaius," he whispered. Then, he closed the book and once again looked for the right spell.

"_Beclýsan." _His eyes flashed once more, and the books golden tendrils shot out, encasing it back in its shell. As tired as he was, Merlin knew he would get no sleep, what with the new book and the prophecy swirling in his mind.

_**SPELLS: 1. open, book of old 2. close, imprison**_


	2. Threshhold Guardians

**A/N: Well, sorry for the wait! I'm not good with technology...an my email hates me :). Anyways, voila! Chapitre deux ici! (there's some french for ya!) Enjoy!  
>Don't know if I've added a disclaimer, so in case y'all don't know, I don't own Merlin :(<strong>

Chapter 2: Threshold Guardians

Merlin woke up with a splitting headache, and knew it was the book that had caused it. He immediately went to Gaius for a remedy and, after downing the terrible potion, he went to find Arthur, afraid of what would happen.

Gaius had told Merlin to tell Arthur it was indeed a prophecy, and one from long ago at that.

When Merlin told Arthur the news, he looked up at him with a fierce determination in his eyes.

"We need to find this Emrys. He would help us against evil, and maybe be able to put an end to everything that plagues our city. I'll declare a quest."

"Arthur!" Merlin cried, suddenly scared. What if Arthur found out who he was? What would happen then? No, Merlin couldn't think about that. First, he needed to make sure Arthur didn't go.

"What?" Arthur asked, still mulling over the prophecy.

"I-I don't-um," he stuttered.

"Oh, just spit it out, Merlin!"

"I think it's a bad idea! We don't know who this Emrys fellow is, or where to find him!"

"Well, then, I know what you're going to be doing while I prepare. Go ask Geoffrey for any books from the library about him," Arthur said, dismissing his servant with a wave of his hand."

With a sigh of exasperation and annoyance, Merlin left to 'find' Geoffrey.

Two hours later, after dodging Arthur and avoiding the library as best as he could, Merlin ran back into the Prince's chambers.

"Couldn't find anything on Emrys; looks like a dead end."

"Oh really?" Arthur said, looking up from the books and papers on his desk."Then why did I find this here?"

_Emrys is the legendary warlock who, one day, shall free all and return magic to the land of Albion with the help of the Once and Future King. Emrys is said to be under a disguise, hidden from all until he deems fit to make himself known. Many stories have been told of meetings with this warlock, and all have mentioned his kindness and respect for the common man. Emrys is also said to be the Last Dragonlord, as all others were persecuted and killed. This being said, he becomes even more powerful by the protection and bond of the last Great Dragon. One day, when Emrys makes himself known, the sorceress shall fall and a new age of prosperity shall fall upon Albion. Some say that Emrys lives among us, working as a low peasant, preparing to protect us even now._

"Where did you find this?" Merlin whispered.

"A Druid book sitting in the library where you were supposedly looking in. Are you really that stupid? It was sitting on the shelf!"

"So, you're planning on finding this sorcerer?" Merlin asked, avoiding his question.

"I don't know, Merlin. He's a sorcerer, and according to father, can't be trusted. But, what if-" he stopped, as if thinking what to say. "What if magic isn't all bad?"

Merlin nearly gasped out loud. Was Arthur really changing?

"Yes, yes, Merlin. I know how much you hate magic, but what if some was good? Like Emrys?"

"I...I don't hate magic..." Merlin began hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Arthur asked, confused. Merlin almost laughed at the fact that Arthur thought he hated magic. Why, the idea was ludicrous!

"Well, back in Ealdor, magic wasn't outlawed. It was discouraged and mistrusted, but we saw it used for good sometimes. The village healer, who practised magic himself, always told me that magic was a weapon, just like a sword. On its own, it was neutral. However, once it is put in the hands of someone evil or good, it changes, for better or worse, "he replied, only twisting the truth a bit. In fact, it had been his mother who had told him that fact after some village boys had been taunting him.

Arthur was speechless, as he always was at these random bouts of wisdom from Merlin.

"Truly?" he said, as if seeing Merlin for the first time.

"Yeah, so I saw magic from a neutral point of view, until I came to Camelot, " Merlin said, collecting some of the prince's clothing that had made its way onto the ground.

"Then you'll help me find him?" Arthur asked hopefully.

Merlin was torn. One part of him wanted to help Arthur, to show him that magic wasn't all evil, to try and change fate, but the other part of him was terrified that Arthur would desert him or tell Uther if he found out about the magic.

"I-I don't-" he stuttered.

"Oh, come on Merlin, we'll need him to protect Camelot from whatever is coming, "Arthur said in, as Merlin had dubbed it, his 'this adventure will most likely lead to a terrible magical beast and I'll need you to save me with magic although I won't know it's you' voice.

"What will Uther say?" Merlin asked, a spur of the moment persuasion. "I'm pretty sure he won't let his son go out on a quest to find a sorcerer, evil or good."

"Eh, I'll make something up," Arthur said, smirking. "Now pack!" With a wave of his hand, Arthur dashed out of the room, presumably to find his father.

Merlin stood in the room, shaking his head, before setting to work. He packed with his hands, but his mind was far away, trying to figure something out.

He worked for an hour, coming up with nothing. By then, night had settled and the blond prince hadn't returned. Merlin assumed he was being kept by a council meeting, and didn't worry as he left for his rooms.

As he was walking down the candlelit corridors, he heard a voice seeming to come from his mind.

_Merlin..._

Merlin groaned, recognising the voice of Kilgharrah.

_What do you want?_ he thought, connecting his thoughts to those of the Great Dragon.

_We must speak, come to the meadow._

_I'll be caught! It's after curfew!_

_Has that ever stopped you before? Besides, you owe me._

Merlin shut up after that because, as sad as it was, the dragon was right. When Merlin ever needed Kilgharrah, the beast had never failed to come. It was only fair that Merlin repay him.

Turning on his heel, Merlin began to quickly walk back to the stairs hidden from royalty, only used by servants. Slipping out of a small door in the wall, he got to their meadow relatively unscathed. There had been one incident with a young maid, but Merlin was sure the knockout spell was temporary.

_"O drakon, e mala soi ftengometh tesd'hup anankes! Erkheo!"_ he muttered. Normally, he would shout these words that brought Kilgharrah, but since the dragon knew he was there, it was more of just a heads up.

Soon, the familiar, black shape filled the sky, blocking out the moon. For such a large beast, Kilgharrah landed with grace.

"It is good to see you, young warlock," the Great Dragon said, his voice as gravely as ever.

"You called, and I came. I'm also quite tired and need some rest as Arthur has decided to go look for Emrys tomorrow!" he said irritably.

"Yes, yes, no need to get testy," Kilgharrah reprimanded. "I know of the prophecy, and I know what is going on, and what you must do to stop it."

"Okay, what?" Merlin prodded, used to the beast's riddles.

"The prophecy was delivered to Arthur by the Elfven, a group of creatures who delight in mayhem of all kind. Considering the part about burning the sun, I would think it almost positive that you need to go there. You should know, they don't give out prophecies to just anyone. They must feel it necessary or that a time of terror is coming. When they give warnings, it is like a questing beast sighting; it usually means a time of chaos will follow. They, however, do not stay on the side of good or evil, more switch to whichever side is to their advantage."

"Sound like a nice group of people," Merlin said snarkily.

"Hush, warlock." Kilgharrah turned his eye on Merlin. "You do not understand what is at stake! The Elfven are ruled by a queen, her name is Dhraeli, and she is not one to be trifled with. She is crafty and cunning as well as a fierce sorceress. Sadly, I have been informed that she has had dealings with Morgause in the past, and I fear this prophecy you speak of deals with the witch herself."

Merlin's look hardened at the mention of his old nemesis. "Is there any way to defeat her?"

"The Elfven employ their own brand of magic, stronger and more powerful than even that of the Old Religion. Even I would not dare to fight with them. Instead, negotiate. Also, Dhraeli does love a witty talk, so stay on your toes. Yet to defeat Morgause, you will need the Cup of Life, which currently resides in Dhraeli's hands. Remember, Elfven cannot go outside, for they burn in the sun, hence, the prophecy."

"How can I go on this quest?" he asked, suddenly remembering the reason he wanted to talk to Kilgharrah, "Arthur is bent on finding Emrys, but I am Emrys!"

"I believe to remember something you did a few months back, something that had to do with the sorcerer 'Dragoon the Great'. Apparently he disappeared without a trace. Wouldn't it be odd if he turned out to be Emrys?"

Merlin smiled at the idea, remembering the old warlock disguise.

"Think on that, young warlock. And remember, the answers are often in plain sight; one just has to remember to open his eyes." With that last philosophical sentence, the mighty dragon took off into the sky.

Merlin took one last look at the retreating figure and ran back to the castle, looking for Gaius.

"Gaius!" he shouted, barging into the physicians room. "Gaius I need help!"

"Merlin, why on earth are you waking me up at this hour?" the old man replied, looking out onto the dark sky.

"Gaius, I need that potion for Dragoon's retransformation, and a lot of it."

"I've found it's better not to ask you, for fear of being considered an accomplice," Gaius muttered, getting out of his bed.

"Oh," Merlin added on second thought. "Do you have any way to contact the Elfven?" Gaius almost dropped a vial of purple liquid he was holding.

"Merlin, why would you want to go to the Elfven?" he whispered.

"Kilgharrah thinks they might have planted the prophecy. He thinks they have the Cup of Life, which we need to protect from Morgause and eventually use to destroy her."

Gaius frowned, but did not make any move to collect something.

"Sadly, Merlin, the Elfven are not folk who like to be found. I daresay you will need the help of more magical folk. I would ask the Druids."

"Thank you, Gaius." Merlin left the room, preparing mentally for whatever lay ahead.


	3. A Talisman

**A/N: Wow! 2 Chapters in less than 24 hours! (I think...) Hope it makes up for the long wait :) Just wanted to thank everyone who has reviewed/favourited/alerted this story! It means a lot to me that people like my work, and I love all of you! Remember, reviews are always wonderful, as I love feedback of any kind! Hope you like it!**

A Hero's Journey-Darkness and Light.

Ch3: A Talisman

Merlin was in a deep sleep when he felt something cold and wet splash on his face. He woke up covered in water with a man standing over him.

"Go'way Arthur," he mumbled, rolling over.

"Get up idiot," Arthur replied, turning him out and onto the floor. "It's dawn and time to go."

Sighing, Merlin got up and grabbed his pack where he had stored the Book of Lore and some simple remedies for Arthur, who was most likely going to be injured as he always was, and followed the prince past Gaius' sle eping form and out to the , in the dawning sunlight, stood two others, Gwaine and Lancelot.

"Arthur, I hate you," Gwaine muttered as the four got on their horses and set off. "I really do. I don't even know where we're going or what we're looking for!"

"We're looking for someone named Emrys," Arthur said shortly. Lancelot gasped and looked at Merlin. Merlin nodded and gave a grim smile.

"Really?" Gwaine said mockingly. "And is this Emrys fellow going to invite us for a cup of tea?"

"No, he's a sorcerer. Supposed to help us protect our land from Morgause, and lead us to some cup of life."

"Ah, so that's why Princess is upset. Doesn't want to go find a sorcerer."

"Shut it, Gwaine," Arthur muttered, spurring his horse on.

The three others followed his lead, and as the sun rose, they left Camelot's walls in search of Emrys.

After hours of riding, even Lancelot was annoyed at Arthur. However, soon after they reached the edge of Camelot's borders, they came upon a druid village.

As Merlin saw the village, his heart sank. If anywhere, this place was where he would be discovered. The four men tied up their horses and entered the village.

"Excuse me," Arthur said, walking up to a young girl. "Do you know where the leader of your village is?"

The girl blushed. "Right this way. He's been expecting you." She led the now confused men through crowded tents and musty pathways. until they reached a large tent with shining velvet flaps.

"Our leader, Vilkn, resides here." With a bob of her head, the girl walked away, leaving the four men to enter the lavish tent themselves.

"Ah," said a voice from the back. "I've been expecting you, Arthur Pendragon."

"We've heard," Arthur said, looking flustered nevertheless.

"Indeed. You see, I am quite proficient in scrying and have seen all that has happened with the Elfven Folk."

"The who?" Arthur asked. Merlin silently reprimanded himself for not telling Arthur about that.

"Ah, yes. You don't know yet. They are the creatures responsible for this message. Mischief makers, the lot of them, but can be quite useful at times," the voice mused.

"Excuse me, Sir, would you show yourself?" Merlin knew Arthur wanted to know who this man was they were speaking to, and he himself was curious.

A wizened man who seemed to be a hundred years old stepped out of the shadows. He had long silvery hair and a flowing beard that reached his knees. He was wearing a long, deep purple robe and had witty blue eyes shining brightly from beneath wrinkled lids.

"I apologize for not coming out sooner. I am Vilkn, leader of the Druids."

Merlin felt a sudden urge of respect for this man. He felt his old magic, almost as old as Nimueh's, had been, and heard a buzzing in his ear, as if the power was literally emanating from him.

"A pleasure," Arthur said stiffly, more frightened, Merlin realised, of this magic than he had let on.

"No, you don't think so," Vilkn said. "You find me frightening because of what your father has told you. You must let go of these prejudices or you will never be able to fulfil your destiny." He turned to Gwaine. "You, Gwaine, shall be remembered in history, but you yourself must remember where your loyalty lies."

Gwaine looked surprised at being addressed, but Vilkn had moved on to Lancelot.

"Lancelot, that which you love shall be your downfall and the downfall of those who you love."

Lancelot looked even more shocked than Gwaine, and Merlin could tell he was thinking of Gwen.

"Merlin," Vilkn began, and Merlin looked alert. "Or should I call you by another?" Merlin's eyes widened in fear, and Vilkn chuckled. "No, my boy. The time for that has not yet come upon us. You shall be safe until you find yourself at a crossroads. One choice will be secrecy and death, the other, a path which you will have to forge yourself. Only you can protect them, but you might need to risk some to gain more."

All four men looked shocked, as Merlin had gotten the longest mystical speech. Gwaine voiced these thoughts and earned a chuckle.

"Vilkn," Arthur cut in. "We need help finding a sorcerer, someone by the name of Emrys."

Vilkn's eyes widened and he stole a quick glance at Merlin, but then addressed Arthur again. "A new age is coming, brings changing tides. The Once and Future King with Emrys at his side. Of course," he said as the information dawned on him, "That is why-Oh this is wonderful!" Vilkn said in awe.

"Sir?" Arthur said, struggling to keep the conversation going.

"My boy, I cannot help you, but I do know someone who can," Vilkn replied, still giddy.

"Who?" Lancelot broke in, obviously impatient.

"That, my friends, you can find out for yourself. Now, my daughter, Sylvia, can set you up with a tent for the night." He called out the name and the girl who had led them to Vilkn returned. He whispered something to the girl and she gasped.

"Right this way," she said in awe. As the four walked out, Merlin heard Vilkn call his name. Arthur looked back, confused, but Merlin nodded and the prince continued.

"Yes?" he asked, walking back into the stuffy tent.

"Emrys, it is an honour," he said, giving a slight bow.

"No, there is no need for that," Merlin said, blushing.

"My boy, there is all the need! You are the one who is going to save us all. However, unless you help Arthur find the cup of life and keep it out of Morgause's hands, that destiny shall ring false. I presume you know you are to find the Elfven?"

"Yes, someone named Dhraeli, correct?"

"Indeed. However, I myself do not know where their Kingdom lies. You shall need help finding it."

"Who can help?" Merlin asked earnestly.

"Why, I think you know her. The Lady of the Lake."

Merlin almost fainted right there. Freya? he thought to himself. His heart ached at the thought of his love.

"I believe you know her?" Vilkn asked knowingly, his eyes twinkling.

"Y-yes," Merlin choked out.

"Go to her, seek her help." Noticing the dismissal, Merlin left the room preparing to go visit the Lake of Avalon which was not far from the camp.

Although Merlin had assured him that he was alright, Arthur didn't trust Vilkn. Maybe it was the fact that he was a druid, or the knowing way he'd said the words about each man, but Arthur had decided to stay back and wait for Merlin to exit.

When Merlin did exit, he didn't make his way to their tent. Instead, he began to walk away from the camp. Curious, Arthur followed.

They walked for a long time, Arthur being careful not to make any noise. The prince was surprised at Merlin's silence as they shifted through the trees.

As soon as he began to wonder if Merlin was leading him on a wild goose chase, the man in question stopped.

They had reached a lake. The water was shining and as smooth as a sheet of glass, reflecting the light of the huge moon. Trees lined the edges, framing it as if in a painting.

Merlin stopped and kneeled on the beach. Arthur saw him bow his head, and then stand back up. He walked into the water.

Arthur was about to get up and stop Merlin, when something odd happened.

As Merlin got knee-deep into the lake, Arthur saw the water shimmer. A few feet in front of Merlin, a figure rose from the water itself.

The girl was slim and beautiful. She seemed to personify purity, with hair as dark as midnight and seemingly glowing skin. She was clothed in a simple white dress and had dark curling lashes, but that was not what drew Arthur to her. It was her lips, and moreover, her smile. It was a smile of pure joy, yet also one which had seen pain.

When Merlin noticed the girl, He walked forward, his eyes alight. Arthur heard him murmur something, and then the two embraced. Arthur soon realised ***changed from US realized*** this was an extremely personal moment, and made a move to look away.

After speaking for a few moments, the woman handed something to Merlin. It looked like a stone made from the water itself. It was a simple blue with different shades swirled throughout.

With one parting kiss, the woman began to sink back into the water, her hand holding Merlin's until it slipped from his grasp, sliding gently back into the lake.

Merlin turned and Arthur saw that his servants face was streaked with tears. For some reason, those moments had made him want to cry as well, which in itself was odd since Arthur never cried, and although he didn't know who she was, Arthur saw Merlin's affection for the woman written clearly on his face. With one last kiss to the stone, he put it in his pocket and began to wall towards Arthur's hiding place. Quick as a fox, Arthur leapt up and made his way back to the camp.

As Merlin came in not minutes after Arthur, the latter pretended to sleep as Merlin lay down next to Lancelot. With one last choking sob that made his heart wrench, Arthur heard Merlin's breathing steady and soon drifted into unconsciousness himself.


	4. The Wise Mentor

Merlin woke up earlier than the others, and quickly went outside to enjoy the peace and quiet. He smiled, drinking in the dawning sun and simple bird songs. However, this peace ended all too soon.

"Morning, Merlin!" Gwaine said, bouncing out of the tent.

"Morning," Merlin said, deep in thought.

"Merlin? MERLIN!" Gwaine waved his hand in front of Merlin's face.

"What?" an annoyed Merlin snapped.

"I'm hungry." He smiled. Merlin groaned.

"Go find some food," he muttered, pulling himself back into his thoughts. Minutes later, he heard another shout.

"Where do I find food?" Gwaine asked.

"Ask someone who's not me," Merlin said, smiling at Gwaine's persistence. Before Gwaine could come up with a retort, Lancelot and Arthur walked out, bleary-eyed. Arthur didn't miss a beat and got everyone up and packing, proclaiming that they had a long day's journey ahead.

"And where exactly are we going?" Gwaine muttered, dejected at the lack of food.

"The druids say Emrys went north a few days past. If we want to find him, we'll have to follow his tracks."  
>Merlin smiled. Vilkn had obviously given him a bit more time to find out what he was going to do, and for that, he was grateful.<p>

After leaving the camp, they travelled until the sun was high in the sky-not that they could see it through the dense foliage.

"Arthur," Gwaine whined, "are we there yet?"

"Gwaine," Arthur said, trying to stay calm. "I have no idea where we're going. So shut it before I knock you off your horse!"

"Ah, Princess is upset too!" the man in question replied cheerfully. Arthur just shook his head, and Merlin and Lancelot shared a smile at their antics. They continued their ride, turning ever so often, but never truly knowing where they were going. Finally, as dusk began to fall, Arthur stopped.

"Okay, we'll make camp here for the night." He pointed to a small clearing. They tied up their horses and set to work building a fire. Arthur went out to hunt, and directed Merlin to get the fire started.

Once Arthur left, Merlin begun to gather sticks for the fire. He really wanted to test his magic, make sure it was working well for the Dragoon transformation, but couldn't with Gwaine around. He voiced these thoughts to Lancelot, whose eyes sparkled with an idea.

"Gwaine?" the knight asked. "Would you go find Arthur? See if he needs anything? He's been gone for quite a while."

Gwaine nodded, but looked confused. Usually chasing after Arthur was Merlin's job, but Gwaine just hopped up and left.

"Thanks," smiled Merlin, turning his attention to the fire.

"Æledfýr" he whispered. His eyes glowed again and flames began to leap out of the wood and dance around. Lancelot smiled, and the two sat back, enjoying the heat.

"So, Emrys," Lancelot began. "How're you going to do this?"

"I've been thinking, and there's a disguise I've used in the past. It's an old man disguise and I think that if I were to, say, go and collect more wood, then I could use the disguise to come and tell Arthur what needed to be done."

Lancelot gave Merlin a sceptical look. "There are so many things that could go wrong, Merlin."

"Yes, but I don't have a choice. I need to protect Camelot, and Arthur," Merlin said fiercely.

"Okay. When Arthur and Gwaine come back, we'll do this."

With a plan in mind, the two waited for their friends to return. They heard voices before they could see them.  
>Arthur and Gwaine were arguing, and quite loudly at that. The two men trampled through the brush, Arthur carrying three rabbits, arguing about hunting techniques.<p>

"...but if you set the snare around the bush-" Gwaine began, only to get cut off by Arthur.

"No! With all of the noise you would make by setting it that close to the animal-"

"-But if you set it farther you have a slimmer chance of catching anything!"

They continued like this for some time until Merlin decided he had had enough.

"Girls, girls, you're both pretty!" he called. "Now, can you stop bickering and let us eat?"

Lancelot burst out laughing and Gwaine and Arthur glared at each other before smiling sheepishly. With Merlin diffusing the tension, they all began to talk and laugh like friends.

After they had finished the rabbits, Merlin nodded to Lancelot. Lancelot returned a grim smile, and began to talk.  
>"Merlin, I think we need some more firewood," he said nonchalantly.<p>

Arthur looked surprised, but just nodded. Merlin sighed and left, making sure he was far enough away from the camp to cast his spell.

"_Bredan mec into exon hundraþ gere fram nú_!" he whispered.

Suddenly, he felt himself almost fold up. His hair shot out of his scalp and a beard began to grow, all turning white. He began to get shorter, felt his limbs bend and creak. His muscles grew weaker and his skin turned withered.  
>Finally, the discomfort stopped and Merlin knew the transformation was complete. Slowly, he began to make his way back to the camp.<br>Gwaine spotted him first.

"Arthur!" he cried, unsheathing his sword. Arthur did the same and Lancelot followed, although mostly for appearances.

Merlin stepped out into the firelight and heard Arthur gasp.

"YOU!" Arthur shouted, his voice venomous. "I should kill you where you stand!"

"Ah, ah, ah," Merlin said, trying to get used to the now gravely voice. "Wouldn't want to kill Emrys, now would you?"  
>Merlin almost laughed at the expression on Arthur's face. "But, you're not Emrys!" he spluttered. "You're Dragooney or something!"<p>

"I go by many names, and Dragoon and Emrys are just two of them," he replied, laughing inwardly at how mystical his voice sounded. "Now put down that sword!" He attempted to give Arthur a raised eyebrow like the one Gaius always gave him. It seemed to work as well out here as it did back at the castle.

Arthur seemed to be having an inner battle, but eventually put his sword down. Merlin was surprised at how fast the Prince had surrendered. Lancelot put his weapon down, smiling, and Gwaine did as well, but gave Merlin a scrutinising look.

"Who are you?" Arthur said, his voice still confused. "Why are you here?"

"Arthur," Merlin began, trying to put this as nicely as he could. "Our destinies, they're intertwined. As you've seen, I'm supposed to protect you so you can become the Once and Future King. However, it hasn't been easy. I've been forced to live under a disguise all of my life, trying to protect you but also make sure I wasn't arrested in the process. Do you know how hard it is to hide magic in Camelot?" He gave a huff of annoyance as he finished his rant.  
>Arthur froze at those words. Merlin had just been rambling then, his true feelings coming out.<p>

"You've been in Camelot?" His voice was disbelieving.

"Yes, yes," Merlin said, waving it off, "been undercover for quite some time."

"As who?" Arthur asked, extremely curious.

"Oh, can't tell you that. You'd never be the same." Merlin felt sad at those words, even though they were true. Once he told Arthur, things wouldn't be the same.

"Fine," grumbled Arthur, and Merlin knew that the moment he stepped foot back into Camelot, he would search for Emrys. Merlin would have to be even more careful, something he wasn't looking forward to.

"So," Merlin said, clapping his hands, "on with the quest! I have some news, and then I must run."

"Why?" Gwaine asked, "You could stay here and help us more!" He seemed in awe of the sorcerer, and Merlin laughed as Gwaine was never in awe of anyone.

"No, Gwaine, I can't."

"Why-" Arthur began.

"Shut it," Merlin said, sounding suspiciously like himself. Working his voice back to its old tone, he spoke again. "You will need to visit the Elfven, a group of forest folk."

"Yes," Arthur muttered, still in awe at how Merlin-like Dragoon/Emrys had sounded. "Vilkn told us that much."

"Well, I've put a spell on your servant, Merlin, and he will lead you to them."

Suddenly, Arthur ran up and grabbed Merlin's collar.

"You put a spell on Merlin? Where did you take him! What's happened! Tell me!"

Merlin whispered a spell, "_Niðeráscúfan_," With a thump, Arthur was pushed off of Merlin and landed a few feet away.  
>"Oh stop whining," Merlin said calmly. "I didn't hurt your friend. It's simply a tracking spell. He'll be able to show you where it is."<p>

Arthur glowered at Merlin and the warlock thought it would be a good time to leave.

"Okay, well, everything seems to be set! I'll check back with you later, and remember. I'm always watching."

With that mysterious saying and a sneering eye at Arthur, Merlin walked back into the forest, holding back a snicker at Arthur and his frightened face as Merlin had pushed him back. Once he was far enough away, he downed a vial of the potion and felt the normal pain as he transformed back into himself. Grabbing some lone logs, he rushed back to the campsite.

Arthur was getting up with the help of Gwaine, and Lancelot smiled at Merlin's arrival.

"Sorry-got-got lost," Merlin huffed. "W-what happened?"

"Emrys happened," Arthur said angrily. "What an annoying man!"

Merlin bit back a laugh at this and saw that the other knights were doing the same. Arthur looked at them all and glared. "Shut it, all of you."

They nodded and Arthur continued his rant, oblivious to their smirks. Finally, Arthur noticed Merlin.

"Oh, Merlin, Emrys said you had a spell put on you that would lead us to some place of the Elfven."

"Yeah, he came up to me and told me as I was heading to get wood. Spooked me at first, but he's really just a harmless old man," Merlin gave a smile. "In fact, he was quite nice."

Arthur glowered at him, as the old wizard irked him quite a bit. "Well, if you can lead us to this place, we'll leave tomorrow." With that, he walked over to his bedroll and turned away from everyone else. Once he had fallen asleep, Gwaine was soon to follow. Soon, it was just Lancelot and Merlin.

"'Shut it'? Really, Merlin? You sounded exactly like yourself!" Lancelot began.

"He was being annoying!" Merlin defended. "Anyone would've said that!"

"Only you, Merlin," Lancelot chuckled. He continued to make fun of the disguise and Merlin's face steadily grew redder. Neither noticed a pair of dark eyes open across the fire. Merlin noticed them after a jab from Lancelot, and the retort his lips had formed died in his throat. His face lost all colour, and his eyes widened to saucers.  
>"Merlin, what happened?" Lancelot said, worried for his friend.<p>

"Gwaine," Merlin whispered. The man in question stood up from his bedroll, and walked over to them.

"So, you're a sorcerer, I gather?" he said, his voice light.

"Gwaine, I'm sorry! I-you weren't supposed to-I mean, don't turn-sorry! Don't tell-don't say anything to Arthur!"

Merlin stuttered, backing away like Gwaine was about to hit him.

Instead, Gwaine guffawed, and loudly.

"Merlin, you really think I'm upset?" he said, still chuckling. "sure, it would have been nice to know earlier, but everything makes so much more sense!"

Merlin's face relaxed as he realized that Gwaine wasn't going to turn him in. Lancelot chortled as well and Merlin soon gave in to a weak giggle.

"Hey Merlin?" Gwaine asked. "Can I ask you a question?" Merlin nodded.

"How long have you had magic?"

"Since before I could speak."

"Can you do anything?"

"Define anything."

"Could you turn all the water in our packs to mead?"

Lancelot snickered at this request and Merlin glowered at Gwaine.

"I could," Gwaine's face lit up. "But I won't. Dragging your drunk arse around is never fun." He smiled and the three men laughed as the tension was quickly eradicated. Merlin felt happy that Gwaine knew, as it was one less person to worry about. Now, all that was left was Arthur.

They talked late into the night, Merlin telling Gwaine stories about all of the times he had saved Arthur - Gwaine found these particularly funny - and stories from back in Ealdor. Soon, Lancelot decided that they had enough fun, and made the other men go to sleep, as Arthur was sure to make them ride a while tomorrow.

As they were turning in, the fourth member of their party had awoken. He heard the rustling, but knew it was just the other three. As Arthur was about to turn over and fall back asleep, he heard Gwaine whisper to Merlin.  
>"Why won't you tell Arthur?" Arthur perked up at his name, wondering what Merlin shouldn't tell him.<p>

"Are you crazy? I can never tell him. He'd hate me forever," Merlin's voice was sombre and depressed.

Arthur now wanted to know what it was that Merlin was hiding. What was so important that he couldn't tell Arthur? Sure, Merlin was his servant, but Arthur thought they were friends. Friends didn't keep secrets, right?

Arthur's mood worsened as he fell asleep. He was upset that Merlin wasn't telling him something, but also scared to know what it was.

* * *

><p>SPELLS: of fire. 2. transform me into myself a hundred years from now.<p> 


	5. The Labyrinth

**A/N: Hey there my readers! Thanks for all of the support! Now we're getting into the plot! One thing, I don't own the rhyme in this chapter, got it of the beautiful internet XD Enjoy!**

Chapter 5 - The Labyrinth

The four men awoke and Merlin began to cook breakfast, wondering how on earth he was going to lead them to the Elfven. Why, he himself had no idea where they were, save for the vague directions Freya had given him.

"Merlin, where do we go?" Arthur asked as they finished the meal and began to pack up. "Emrys gave you directions, right?"

"Ah, of course. Well," Merlin motioned to Arthur's map of Camelot, "the place where the Elfven live is in the Forest of Ascetir, on the way to Ealdor. We can cut through Shimmer's Pass to get into the forest, but then it's all just my senses and whatever Emrys put on me." Merlin traced a path with his fingers, and Arthur nodded.

"Good. Well, let's get going."

They mounted their horses and set off into the woods with preparations to reach the Forest of Ascetir by nightfall.

Sadly, fate was against them, and about four hours in to their trip, they were hopelessly lost.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur said exasperatedly as they stopped to water their horses at a small stream, "I thought you knew where you were going."

"I _do_, I just got a bit mixed up," Merlin muttered, irritated by Arthur's nagging and his own failure. "I need some space." With that, he tramped off into the woods, hoping to get away from the others.

As he found a small patch of sunlight that shone on a tree stump, he sat down and put his head in his hands.

Freya hadn't said it would be difficult, in fact, she had mentioned the simplest part was the journey.

"Thanks, Freya." Merlin huffed to no one. He had hoped this could be his chance to show Arthur that not only was he worthwhile, but that magic was good. As of now, he was pretty far off track.

Suddenly, a thought came to him: the book! Reaching into his knapsack, he pulled out the thick Book of Lore, and muttered the opening spell.

As the leaves receded, he flipped through it, trying to find a directional spell. Searching quickly, he finally located one for showing a person the whole of the area they were in.

_"Ætíewan mec ealdgeweorc fram fuhlas ansíen!"_ His eyes lit up with their normal gold, and he felt himself being lifted into the air. He knew it was an illusion, but it was still incredible to be above the forest. He could see the bushy tops of the trees and the stream where the knights were. Looking tothe far left, he saw the rocky cliffs of Shimmer's Pass. Smiling, he muttered a reverse spell and felt a sensation unparalleled to any other as he returned to normal.

"Arthur," he called, walking back now much calmer. "I know where we have to go."

He got everyone saddled up and they began to journey eastward, soon galloping out of the dense foliage into a grassy field. Looking ahead into the horizon, Merlin located Shimmer's Pass.

The pass, as far as he could tell, was the only way to go through the Mountains of Isgaro. According to not only Druid legend but accounts from survivors, it was guarded by a fearsome beast. Merlin had specifically not told Arthur this part, as it would have worried him too much.

As the sun travelled west, the party went opposite, getting closer to the towering mountains with each hour that passed. They spent the day as they would almost on any other trip. Gwaine joked, Arthur poked fun at Merlin, Lancelot provided the small bit of common sense and Merlin just smiled, glad to be with three of his best friends, away from the class system of Camelot. Out here, aside from making the food and setting up tents, there were no boundaries; they were all equal. Arthur didn't have to pretend as if he and Merlin weren't close, and Gwaine could tease Arthur with Merlin and not get shouted at. None of them spoke of it, yet they were all much less tense, and with the beautiful weather, things seemed to be going right for once.

However, luck never went far in Camelot.

"Well, men," Arthur said as they stopped to determine whether they would go through the pass or wait until morning. "It is getting late, but Shimmer's Pass can't be more than a half a league long, so we might be able to make it through before nightfall."

Merlin desperately wanted to bring up the mysterious monster, but couldn't without revealing his source.

"Sounds good!" Gwaine said cheerfully, snapping his reins and heading for the pass. Everyone laughed and followed the eager man.

As they entered the pass, Merlin felt very nervous. His eyes darted everywhere, seeing every shadow as a monster, and his heart leaped at every sound.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur sighed. "You are as jumpy as a rabbit. It's not _that _bad, only a mountain. In fact, I-"

However, Arthur never finished his sentence as he noticed the creature that blocked his path, bathed in a golden glow.

The creature seemed to have the body of some kind of large cat, its feet had sharp nails and it had a golden coat, yet it had the head of a woman with wild, red-golden hair and piercing brown eyes. She had a cold and calculating expression, and sat with her paws folded over one another. As Arthur pulled out his sword, she smiled.

"Arthur Pendragon, how nice to see you," she purred.

"Let us pass, beast," Arthur growled with Lancelot and Gwaine backing him up.

"Oh, very amusing," she laughed. "I doubt you know who I am, then?"

"You're a sphinx," Merlin suddenly answered, remembering something Gaius had told him a million years ago.

"Indeed. And you are?" She smiled at him, yet the smile showed no warmth.

"Merlin," he said calmly as he could, trying to remember how to defeat a sphinx.

"How grand! Well, then you know that in order to pass you must answer my riddle. Answer it incorrectly and I eat you. Try to attack, and I eat you."

Her smile widened to show two rows of sharp teeth.

Arthur just glared. "We have three men trained to kill. I think I'll take my chances."

"Arthur, no!" Merlin shouted, suddenly remembering what Gaius had told him. "She is a being of magic. She could easily take all of you out without moving a muscle. Don't risk it."

Arthur glared at Merlin. "He's right, Pendragon. It would be quite simple to off you right now, but humans and their quirky ways of solving my puzzles, or attempting to, amuse me," the sphinx replied.

"Fine," Arthur sounded defeated already and Merlin knew that riddles weren't his area of expertise. Arthur would be much more comfortable fighting with a sword than with his brain. However, Merlin knew that one in their group was perfect for it.

"Lancelot, take the riddle," Merlin said, making sure Arthur didn't. Knowing he would probably say an incredibly stupid answer before trying to run the sphinx through. Lancelot would think a bit before answering.

"Ah, Lancelot du Lac. How fitting that you should be the one to take on this challenge of the mind, as your future shows one of many challenges similar in type. Do you accept?"

"Yes," he said stonily, and Merlin saw him mentally preparing himself. He seemed confused at first, but Merlin gave him a look to tell him that he trusted him.

"_With potent, flowery words speak I,  
>Of something common, vulgar, dry;<br>I weave webs of pedantic prose,  
>In effort to befuddle those,<br>Who think I wile time away,  
>In lofty things, above all day<br>The common kind that linger where  
>Monadic beings live and fare;<br>Practical I may not be,  
>But life, it seems, is full of me!"<em>

The sphinx finished the complicated rhyme, and Merlin looked on in dismay. How could anyone figure that out?

Lancelot was in deep thought, his brow furrowing and his hands twitching in concentration. Merlin could almost see the gears turning in his head, and he whispered words to himself.

As Lancelot tried to deduce the riddle, Merlin gave it a hand.

The first part was talking about words...words that meant something besides what they were told in. These words were meant to...confuse people? Yes, confusing...and a waste of time. But, they're quite common...seen in a normal place...but not practical...yet everywhere in life.

What the hell could it be? It was a riddle full of contradictions! A confusing riddle, a complete waste of their time!

...wait! That was it! The riddle was a waste of their time! It was confusing, and common, and life were full of them! The answer was a riddle!

Merlin smiled, proud to have figured it out. However, it seemed as if Lancelot wasn't having as much luck.

"C-could you repeat it?" he asked, trying to stay calm.

The sphinx nodded and repeated the daunting words. Merlin noticed Arthur and Gwaine trying as well, but he needed to try and get Lancelot to figure it out.

The endless silence was killing Merlin, and he wanted to scream out, "It's a bloody riddle!" but he knew the sphinx would probably kill them. Suddenly, it seemed as if luck was upon them.

"Wait, is it a riddle?" Lancelot asked calmly, looking directly into the sphinx's eyes.

"For the love of God, Lancelot, of course it's a riddle! What did you think it was, casual conversation?" Arthur asked, thinking Lancelot had just ruined their chances of getting past. Much to his surprise, the sphinx smiled.

"Indeed, Lancelot. You may pass. But, remember, this is not the hardest choice you will face." She moved aside and the men mounted their horses, Arthur and Gwaine still in shock at the utter simplicity of the answer.

"Merlin," the sphinx called as the he began to mount his horse.

"Yes?"

"Beware the Elfven, but even more so watch out for the Dynbyr, the lower class of Elfven. Although Dhraeli will most likely help you, considering you are Emrys, the Dynbyr despise any outsiders. Don't talk to them, no matter how kind they may seem," she whispered in a hushed tone. "Hurry, Emrys, and beware the walls of the pass, for they cause only temptation and no gain."

Merlin nodded and left, his head reeling from that information. He hurried to catch up to the others, and they made their way through the pass.

As they continued, the walls began to change. Soon, instead of the rocky grey walls, they were surrounded by a crystal substance similar to diamond. As Merlin looked at it, he saw his mother standing beyond it, holding her arms out to him.

"Mother," he whispered, and began to head towards her.

_"Beware the walls of the pass, for they cause only temptation and no gain."_ The sphinx's words echoed in his head and he shook his thoughts clear. It was only a reflection. He turned away and saw that Arthur, Lancelot, and Gwaine were walking towards the walls as well.

"Stop! It's just a reflection!" Merlin called, clapping his hands. Arthur and Lancelot looked at him, their eyes focusing once more, but Gwaine didn't stop. He kept walking.

"Gwaine!" Merlin cried, rushing towards the man. He pulled on his shoulders, but Gwaine shook him off like a pesky fly. "Arthur, help!" Merlin pleaded, and Arthur came over and as they pulled Gwaine onto the ground, they noticed the tears in his eyes.

"They-they took her. T-took her right out of my arms. And she was there...I-I could almost touch her...why-" he stuttered incoherently.

"Gwaine, calm down," Merlin said soothingly, noticing Arthur standing uncomfortably a few feet away.

Finally, Gwaine stopped shaking and looked at Merlin, his eyes hard.

"Her name was Nadia, and she was the most beautiful and perfect girl I had ever seen. After I gathered the courage to talk to her, she also was the smartest person I had ever met. I began to court her, and those were the happiest moments of my life."

He took a shuddering breath before continuing.

"One day, we were walking through the forest, just a calm and peaceful walk, when we were suddenly surrounded by knights bearing Camelot's crest. 'You,' one said, hopping off his horse and pulling out his sword-pointing it at Nadia, 'Nadia Kester, are hearby under arrest for the practise of sorcery.'

"I looked at Nadia, her face had gone white. 'No,' she said firmly, and suddenly ran. As she sprinted through the trees, I followed. But we weren't quick enough. An arrow came flying from behind me and hit her square in the back. She fell down as graceful as a fallen swan, never to breathe again.

"That's why I didn't trust you, why I dislike Arthur-no offense-because of her. She was killed on a whim, probably because someone fucked something up in Camelot and Uther needed someone to blame. And when I saw her there, so beautiful and alive, I-I needed to get her."

His voice broke and he looked away. Merlin hated seeing his normally tough friend so broken, so he quickly motioned for Arthur to go away with Lancelot before looking at Gwaine.

"About a year ago, I was in love too. Her name was Freya and she was a druid. She was forced to go through painful transformations nightly, turning into a beast that terrorised people. We were planning to run away, but Arthur killed her when she was in her beast form."

Gwaine gasped, but Merlin didn't stop.

"When I found out, I brought her body to a lake and sent it out. I was so angry, filled with so much hatred, that I was prepared to kill Arthur. Yet, as her body sank beneath the surface, I saw her actually come back. She appeared out of the water, as beautiful as ever.

"'Do not give into the hate, Merlin,' she said, touching my face. 'You need Arthur, and you must remember that one drop of hatred in the cup of joy turns the most blissful draught into poison. You and Arthur are two sides of the same coin, and you must not want revenge for his actions.' It was then that I knew that Arthur was doing what he thought was right, and that he didn't have any personal vendetta against me. I know it's hard to forgive, but you must be willing to get over it and accept what really happened. It wasn't Camelot's fault; if anything, blame Uther. But remember all of the good people in Camelot; Gwen, Gaius, Leon, Arthur, and me."

Gwaine looked up for a second, and then smiled at Merlin.

"It will take time," he sighed. "But you're right. Wow, Merlin. Who knew you were so wise?"

Merlin laughed, glad that the heartfelt moment was over. It was always difficult for him to express his feelings to people, and he often felt he was alone since no one understood him fully and all that he had done for Arthur. It was moments like these, where he could connect with the few people that truly knew him, that he wished that Arthur would know about the vital part of him, the part that was currently pushing them apart.

After assuring the other two that Gwaine was okay, they continued their journey past the cursed walls, making sure not to look into the shimmering mirages.

Finally, after what seemed like eternity, they were out of the pass and set up camp. For the first time in a long while, Merlin fell into a troubled sleep with dreams of sadness and destruction that shook him to his core.

SPELLS: 1. show me the world from a bird's view


	6. Rescuing the Princess

**A/N: Chapter 6 is here! And rejoice! I've just gotten three of my friends hooked on Merlin! I feel like I acomplished something great :) Anyway, onto the chapter!**

Chapter 6: Rescuing the Princess

There seemed to be an underlying tension that surrounded the party as they rode towards Ascetir. No one talked, and the emotion was drastically different than the other trip as each man was trapped in his own thoughts.

Arthur was reminiscing on his look into the pass, the urge he had felt to go and touch his mother in the wall, the pain he felt as Merlin called his name. Yet, he questioned why he had turned. Wasn't seeing his mother, and maybe even meeting her, better than Merlin, some lowly servant?

Arthur immediately shook his head. No, Merlin was worth more than that. More than anything, really. Arthur couldn't imagine a life without his quirky, stubborn and utterly useless servant, but still truest and closest friend. Of course, Merlin could never know that. Not unless Arthur wanted to be ridiculed forever, because it was obvious that Merlin didn't feel the same way.

Lancelot, too, was cornered by dreaded thoughts. He kept hearing the voices in his head, those of the Sphinx and Vilkn, talking about the problems he would face. He could only assume that it had to do with Gwen, as there was nothing else in his life, and he had seen her in the pass.

Lancelot knew that Gwen was with Arthur and he wanted to do whatever he could to see a smile on her face, even if it meant never being with her. But if there was even a slim chance that he could have her, that those adoring looks she so often graced Arthur with would be directed at him, Lancelot wouldn't hesitate to take it. That was what scared him the most. Would he really hurt Arthur, the man who was the closest thing besides Merlin he had to a brother, the man who had accepted him even though he lacked noble birth? What was more important: love or brotherhood?

As Arthur and Lancelot dealt with emotional issues with their loved ones (thought Arthur would never admit it), Gwaine, too, was debating a relationship, that of Merlin and Arthur. He saw the deep bond both men had for each other, knowing that neither would hesitate to die for the other. Yet at the same time, Gwaine knew that Merlin was still hiding a huge part of himself and it was slowly breaking them apart, as a secret does to the closest of brothers.

Gwaine couldn't fathom how Arthur would react to Merlin's magic, but the scenes he played out in his head never went well. He saw Arthur yelling at Merlin, not only about sorcery but the lack of trust, and Merlin cowering in front of his former friend, tears welling in his eyes. Even in these mere illusions, Gwaine felt his heart breaking for the poor man. Merlin was truly his younger brother and the knight knew how much Arthur meant to him. Arthur was his world; past, present, and future, and if anything severed that bond, Merlin wouldn't be able to go on. Gwaine subconsciously made it his mission to get Arthur to accept magic so Merlin would no longer be forced to live in fear of persecution from his closest friend.

Merlin was thinking about what their path held. He knew that Arthur was getting suspicious of his knowledge of everything, and that Dragoon would have to make an appearance soon. Yet he was also nervous about meeting the Elfven, Dhraeli in particular as well as whatever the Dynbyr were as they frightened him immensely. If this journey was for naught, how could he live with himself?

So, each man was wrapped up in his thoughts but all of those thoughts were put on hold as they planned to make camp. Merlin gave Lancelot a silent nod and mentioned something about firewood before darting into the forest.

_"Bredan mec into exon hundraþ gere fram nú," _he muttered, feeling the familiar discomfort as his bones creaked and groaned.

Soon, he lumbered back into the camp.

"Welcome back," Arthur muttered, still sceptical of Dragoon.

"You all seem very melancholy this evening," Merlin remarked.

"Well, we just got out of Shimmers Pass and the creepy walls, of course we're sad! We all saw loved ones we had lost!" Lancelot shouted, almost forgetting it was Merlin.

"Woah, calm down, Lancelot. I have information to help you!"

Lancelot harrumphed but let Merlin talk.

"I presume you know where you are going?"

"Something about the Elfven, correct? But what would you know about them?" Arthur had an air of nonchalance but still sounded sceptical about Merlin.

"I know more than you know, Arthur," Merlin snapped. "The Elfven are a group of people that keep to themselves, unless they play a role in anothers fate. They can see the future, you know, or at least they have one seer in their court. But, beware the Dynbyr! You cannot trust them!"

He shook his finger and watched as Lancelot raised his eyebrows, obviously stifling a laugh. Gwaine just stared at him, trying to comprehend the fact that it was Merlin who was in front of him.

"Fine," Arthur huffed. "Any more information? Or are you going to go back to wherever you came from and leave us all alone?"

"Arthur Pendragon, I never leave you without help! Do you know how many times I've saved you? And here you stand, an ungrateful little _prat_, not realising how hard it is for me!"

"Did you just call me a prat?" Arthur said quietly. Merlin shook his head, realising his mistake.

"No, of course not. I called you a rat! Now," he changed the subject before Arthur could retaliate, "the Elfven home should be about a league from here. I'd get moving at first light tomorrow if you want to have enough time to save the cup. Goodbye!"

With that abrupt ending, Merlin hustled away and quickly downed the potion.

"Did I miss anything?" he asked, strutting back into the clearing.

"_Mer_lin," Arthur began, stressing the first syllable. "How is it that you always seem to miss Dragoon?"

"...luck?" Merlin said quietly. Maybe this was the moment when Arthur would discover him! He felt an odd mixture of joy and fear at the prospect.

"Oh, don't worry. I don't suspect you. You're much too clumsy to have magic; you wouldn't know what to do with it!"

Merlin gave a weak chuckle and went to set up the bedrolls, hoping to cause no more suspicion.

They awoke and continued on their way, with nothing unordinary happening until midday.

As they entered the Forest of Ascetir, a sharp cry pierced the air. Each man looked at each other, hesitating only a second before galloping off.

They reached a small clearing that was filled with seven burly men surrounding a young woman and a child, the woman with her arms around the child protectively.

Not wasting a minute, Arthur charged in, sword raised, and the others followed. Merlin slipped into the battle, watching as Arthur battled two men and Lancelot and Gwaine each took one. The others stood around the two girls, but with a quick spell, Merlin got rid of them.

"Come on," he whispered, "I'll get you to safety."

The woman and child gave him a small nod and he led them a safe distance from the clashing swords and whirling men.

"What are your names?" Merlin asked kindly, noticing how nervous they both were.

"I-I am Hael, and this is Seren. B-but sir, we are druids. W-we must go." She began to move away from Merlin, but he grabbed her arm. She looked back in fear, obviously facing her worst fear of being met by Camelot's knights.

"Hael, we won't hurt you. I promise." He looked at her with such intensity that she eventually stopped running.

"Then thank you, sir, for saving us." She smiled and Seren looked out from behind Hael's skirts.

Seren and Hael, who Merlin assumed was her mother, both had auburn hair and deep green eyes. Both wore traditional dresses, but had the druid mark upon their arms and their hair pulled back and braided with flowers Merlin recognised as yarrow, a small flower that, with the right spell, could protect one from sickness.

"I'm not a sir, I'm only Merlin." He smiled back at Seren as she walked forward.

"Well, thank you anyway, Merlin," Hael replied as Seren tugged on Merlin's coat.

"Are you a prince, Mister?" she asked in a small voice, blushing as Merlin let out a laugh.

"Sadly, no. See that one with the blonde hair?" He pointed to Arthur who dodged a strike and parried the man, sending him to the ground. "That is the prince, I'm just his servant."

"You would be a good prince," she said, her blush deepening.

"Why thank you." Merlin smiled then looked back at the knights, wondering if they needed his help. However, to his immense relief, the fight seemed to be over, all seven bandits on the ground. Arthur motioned to him and he gave Seren one last smile before going to wipe his master's blade.

"Who are they, Merlin?" Arthur murmured as they walked forward.

"Hael and Seren, mother and daughter," he said motioning for the women to come forward.

"Sire, thank you," Hael said, giving a deep curtsy.

"That won't be necessary I'm glad to help anyone in need," Arthur replied formally. Merlin wanted to smack him for being so uptight. Luckily, Seren did something first.

She ran up and hugged the prince.

"Merlin said you're a prince, and I think the best kind of prince is the one who saves pretty women like my mummy," she said, smiling up at Arthur.

At first, Arthur was startled by this show of emotion, and Hael made a move to get her daughter, but Arthur picked up the little girl.

"Would you like to be a princess, Seren?" he said to her, smiling.

"Yes!" she said, clapping her hands, "Then I can wear pretty dresses and shiny jewels!"

Arthur laughed and put her down, motioning for everyone to follow him. They reached the horses and Arthur rummaged around in his sack before bringing out a small brooch that had been given to him by some lord a while back. Merlin knew he only carried it around for show, and hated jewellery of any kind.

"Here," he said, pinning it on Seren's blue dress. The faux rubies and gold-painted pewter made it a relatively cheap piece, but it shone all the same. "Now, you're a princess."

"Yay!" She laughed, "thank you!"

"Sire," Hael began, "we must repay you in some way."

"It won't be necessary However, do you know where we could find the Elfven?"

Haels look of fear was impossible to miss.

"Why would you go looking for them?" she asked in awe.

"They have something we need," Arthur said swiftly. "Here, please stay for dinner."

He motioned to the place where the horses were and Merlin grumbled as he began to prepare a fire.

As Arthur began to try and tell Hael of their journey, Merlin was having difficulty with the fire. All of the wood was damp due to the rainfall the previous night and as many times as he struck the flint, not a single spark came.

"Can I help?" Seren said, coming up to Merlin. He nodded and the little girl rubbed her hands together.

_"Æledfýr,"_ she said quietly and her concentrated eyes flashed bronze. The pile of sticks then flickered into flame as Seren exhaled in relief.

"I've been working on that one for a long time!" she said proudly as the flames grew brighter.

However, Arthur had noticed the flames, and where they had come from.

"You're a sorcerer," he said quietly, fiercely.

"Y-yes. I'm a druid," Seren stuttered, looking up at the prince. Merlin quickly stepped in front of Seren who was shaking as she looked at Arthur.

"Merlin, move," Arthur said, walking forward.

"No. Arthur, are you seriously doing this now?"

"She practised magic! So does Hael probably! And we trusted them!"

"You still don't trust magic?" Merlin said quietly, pulling Hael behind him as well. Lancelot and Gwaine stood to the side, not interfering, both hoping Merlin would tell Arthur.

"Why should I? Every sorcerer I've met has tried to kill me, my father or destroy Camelot!"

"What about Dragoon?" Merlin said, almost pleading with Arthur.

"He probably has an ulterior motive as well, going to kill us all one night in our sleep," he replied venomously.

Merlin gaped at him, as did Lancelot and Gwaine.

"T-that's what you think of him?" He whispered.

"Of course. You think I actually like the man? He's insane! Hateful warlock, probably plotting our deaths right now."

With that, Merlin took off, running through the forest, tears blurring his vision. How could Arthur think that of him? Did he hate magic that much?

Merlin slumped against the base of a tree and put his head in his hands, quietly weeping. Soon, however, he stopped and began to think of everything Arthur had done to make him think differently about magic.

_He can't hate me_, Merlin thought, trying to convince himself.

As he sat there, deep in thought, he didn't notice the people behind him, people who, with a few, well-chosen words, soon had Merlin out cold on the ground.

"Our queen will be glad to see him," one of the figures whispered. They then gathered the man in their arms and carried him away.

It had been three hours and Merlin still hadn't returned. Seren and Hael had quickly left after Merlin and now Arthur was free to worry. Lancelot had persuaded him to not run after the man, explaining that Merlin had assumed Arthurs views on magic had changed.

Arthur felt horrible. He didn't know why he had said those things, didn't even know if they were true. It was the shock of seeing that two seemingly innocent people practised magic, especially when they didn't use it to get out of the situation as horrible as those bandits had been.

But he knew that the real reason behind his anger was the fact that Merlin had brought up Dragoon, or Emrys. For some reason, the grumpy old warlock reminded him a lot of Merlin and his mind went crazy whenever he thought of him.

Why was it that on a trip supposed to be simple and calm, his views of the world had been turned upside down?

Magic was evil, as his father said. Just look at Nimueh! And Morgause! They certainly weren't good. Therefore, magic was evil.

But...Hael? And Seren? And Emrys? Were _they _evil?

It hurt Arthur's head to think so much.

Yet now, after three hours of thinking like that, he needed to find Merlin.

"Let's follow the tracks," he said commandingly, and Lancelot and Gwaine followed him.

They reached the spot where Merlin had stopped and looked around. As they searched, Gwaine shouted.

"Arthur, Lancelot, look!" He pointed to some leaves and dirt. Arthur first considered it to be one of his jokes, and was about to tell him off for joking in such a dire time, but gasped when he saw where Gwaine was pointing.

Mixed in with the mud and branches was the unmistakable red neckerchief that Arthur knew so well.

"Merlin," Arthur whispered, fear in his voice, "kidnapped."


	7. Losing the Guide

**A/N: 'Ello there! I'm chilling in a cafe in Manchester and just got this from my beta! So, CHAPTER 7! Here is where the plot kinda explains itself :) Also, there should be at least three more chapters, maybe more :) Thanks again for every review/favourite/alert anyone has given! Even if it's just the word "potato" It helps make my day XD Hope you all are having a brilliant time in life!**  
>Chapter 7-Losing the Guide<p>

Merlin woke up with a splitting headache. As his eyes grew accustomed to the dim light, he figured out that he was in some sort of cell, lying on a stiff cot.

Merlin was quite confused. The last thing he remembered was the argument with Arthur and running off to the forest. Where was he and how could he get back?

As he began to panic, a door creaked open and two short men walked in.

The men were what Merlin had always imagined dwarves to look like. They had green skin with round faces and pointed ears. Each wore a small green tunic and brown, as well as a small red hat. Both had dark eyes and thick eyebrows as well as fluffy brown beards. Merlin thought they would have been quite cute, if not for the malice clear on their faces. He suddenly became quite scared of where he was.

"Her Majesty requests your presence," one said. He reached forward and grabbed Merlin's hands with a surprisingly strong grip. The other followed suit and they marched Merlin out of the tiny room into a stone hallway lit by an eerie green light. They tramped up what seemed like thousands of stairs until they reached a more airy room. Walking down a few more halls, they came to a large pair of wooden doors.

Once walking through, Merlin was in awe. It was as if the throne room of Camelot had been taken and made three times as large, all windows removed and the roof looked as if was a canopy of trees. Along the walls were little bits of nature - a bird's nest here, a waterfall there, even a small thunderstorm in the corner. Flowers grew out of the floor and vines fell gracefully from the trees. Merlin had stepped into a seemingly perfect room of every kind of nature, and it was incredible.

The two tiny men continued to move him down the hall to a throne made of gnarled tree roots and small red flowers. On it, a woman sat, looking regal and majestic. Her skin had a green tinge like the small men, yet while their hair was an earthy brown, hers was a shimmering silver, long and straight. She had black eyes that seemed endless, and a dress made of black feathers that swished when she got up. She was the most beautiful and frightening woman Merlin had ever seen.

"Hello, dear. I trust you slept well?" she began, her voice like twinkling bells and not what Merlin had expected at all.

"You locked me up in a dungeon with no windows," Merlin replied, trying to hide his curiosity and fear."Of course I'm not fine."

The woman actually looked surprised and glared at the two men, her eyes becoming even more menacing. "Boys, I told you that if we had a visitor he was to stay in the guest suite. Was that not clear?" Her voice was still cheerful, yet Merlin detected an underlying tone of venom.

"Sorry, ma'am, slipped our minds," one man said.

The woman shook her head and waved them out of the room, leaving Merlin alone with her.  
>"I sincerely apologise for their mistake. Dynbyr are incredibly useful for some things, yet bumbling idiots with others," she said airily, sitting back down on the throne.<p>

Beware the Dynbyr, they can't be trusted, a voice rang out in Merlin's head, and he suddenly realised where he was.

"You're Dhraeli, aren't you?" he said quietly.

"Of course. And you're Emrys," she replied. Now that we have that done, let's talk." She waved her hand and a simple black table and chair appeared. Merlin sat down and looked at Dhraeli. "Now, Emrys, I know why you're here, what you need, and how you will get it."

"What? How?"

"Emrys, I assumed you knew." She seemed disappointed at his lack of knowledge. "We have a seer employed in our court. She sent the message to your king."

Merlin had never really believed in true seers, Gaius always said they were usually scam artists trying to cheat people.

"And," Dhraeli continued, "we know you are here for the Resurrection Cup."

"What?" Merlin was suddenly quite confused. Both He and Gaius had thought it was the Cup of Life they were sent for.

"Yes, you thought it was the Cup of Life." It was as if she had read his thoughts. "No, young man, the Cup of Life would not serve the Demon Witch's needs."

"How would it not help Mor-" Merlin stopped himself. He didn't know if the Elfven should be trusted all the way quite yet.

"Ah, Morgause," understanding dawned on Dhraeli's face. "You think it is her who the prophecy speaks of. Well, I am afraid you are right. Morgause's mother, Vivianne, was actually part-demon, which gives Morgause some control over the hellish creatures."

"What? That's impossible!" Merlin shouted." If Morgause was a demon we would have known about it before!"  
>"No, you do not understand." Dhraeli seemed calm and oblivious to Merlin's fear. "She will have control over the demons once she has the Resurrection Cup, which can bring people and others back from the Other Side."<p>

Dhraeli clapped her hands and the two Dynbyr reappeared through a door in the wall hidden by the foliage. Between them, on a velvet cushion, sat a tall golden cup lined with rubies and opals.

"This, dear, is the Resurrection Cup. All you need is something of the person you wish to bring back and a certain spell and you can bring them back from the dead, or bring a spirit over, like Morgause would."

"So, can I have it?"

Dhraeli laughed her sparkling laugh and stood up from the table. "Of course not. I would not give such a prize as this away without a price."

"Well, what is the price?" Merlin was getting anxious.

Before Dhraeli could answer, the large doors at the end of the hall burst open and in ran Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot, swords raised for attacking.

"And you are?" Dhraeli said calmly, as if she didn't care that three men were about to attack her.

"I am Arthur, Crown Prince of Camelot. I demand you release my servant!" Arthur shouted in return, and Merlin noticed that he was in full battle mode, except for a small slip of relief as she saw Merlin was all right.

"Oh but we were just going to make a deal!" Dhraeli sounded like a child would when her mum said it was time for bed.

Arthur gave Merlin a questioning look, but Merlin replied with a 'just hold on, don't do anything rash' look.

"Dhraeli, what must I do to get the Cup," Merlin asked calmly, trying not to look at his friends.

"Ah, well, I think a fitting price for a cup that can resurrect the dead is to take a life in return." Dhraeli's smile turned into that of a cat eyeing its prey and Merlin heard the three knights gasp.

"So be it." Merlin tried to reply calmly, but inside he was shaking.

"Merlin, no!" He heard Arthur's shout, followed by similar cries from Gwaine and Lancelot but paid them no heed.

"Excellent!" Dhraeli continued to smile as she motioned for one of the Dynbyr who handed her a small glass vial.  
>As she handed it to Merlin, she spoke to him. "Emrys, is this all worth it? Is that prince who would kill you if he knew the truth worth dying for?"<p>

Merlin gazed fiercely up at her, taking the vial swiftly. "I would willingly die for Arthur."

"Well then let us grant that wish!" she replied louder so Arthur could hear her.

Merlin uncorked the vial, tuning out the cries of his friends. He needed to protect Arthur, and if this was the only way, so be it.

He took a sip and found that it tasted like strawberries. He was about to question this when he felt darkness overcome him and he slowly drifted into unconsciousness.

Strangely enough, he seemed to be floating on a river that had different land on either side. On one side he could see a beautiful forest with sunlight streaming through the green trees and plump berries falling off the bushes. The other side was shrouded in mist with dark shapes moving around.

Some part of Merlin thought that the forest side was the place to be, and that he would be happy there for eternity, yet a larger part of him knew he needed to go back to Arthur, because how would that prince survive without him?  
>Merlin slowly got up, feeling an ache in his left side, but he clambered out the water and slid into the misty darkness.<p>

When he got out, he saw that he was lying on the ground in a dark room. As he regained his senses, he saw that he was not alone. Next to him, looking quite dishevelled, was Dhraeli.

"What are you doing here?" he hissed. "Why am I still alive? What is going on!"

"Quiet, Emrys." Dhraeli covered his mouth with her hand. "It is the Dynbyr. They are holding a revolution. After you took the potion they began to cast spells I was unaware even existed. Then, they kidnapped your friends and took the Cup. I barely got away with my life. They're still rampaging around the castle, but you must get out. The fate of Albion rests with you."

"What?" Merlin was very confused. Not only was he still alive, but apparently the Dynbyr were evil. Everyone was right. Go figure.

"No time! You must find the Dynbyr's camp and get the Cup!"

Dhraeli grabbed Merlin's hand and began to pull him out into the light. Merlin realised they had been in a small cupboard and they were now in the hall, although it looked nothing like it had before. The once beautiful walls were now singed and torn down, and the floor was littered with bodies of Elfven and small fires everywhere. As Merlin and Dhraeli stepped into the light the Dynbyr who were still around began to notice.

"Look! It's the Queen!" one said, pointing to Dhraeli who quickly pushed Merlin behind her. Everyone began to laugh and bow mockingly to her.

"Oh, Majesty, how the mighty have fallen!" another shouted. They slowly began to move towards Dhraeli and Merlin who backed up towards the wall.

"Why?" was all Dhraeli shouted. "Why are you doing this?"

"We have been oppressed for too long, Majesty. We have been your slaves and servants for generations! And what do we get? Nothing! Think of this, my Lady, as our prize." Their leader seemed to be one of the two who had taken Merlin from the dungeons, as he was the one who spoke.

"I don't understand." Dhraeli seemed calm considering the situation and Merlin noticed how she was slowly pushing him towards the wall.

"No, we wouldn't expect you to. You Elfven are above us and don't care, right?" the Dynbyr replied scathingly.  
>Dhraeli must have answered, but Merlin didn't hear, for he was too busy noticing the door that had slid open in the wall. He looked at Dhraeli who winked and pushed him through, into the tunnel of darkness.<p>

"Well, Majesty, it's time to pay for your crimes!" one of the Dynbyr shouted gleefully as Merlin began to run through the tunnel, hoping Dhraeli would follow him.

The last thing he heard before he got too far away from the hall was the sound of laughter followed by terrible screams of pain and anguish. He was almost tempted to call out to Dhraeli, but remembered his friends and kept going.

Dhraeli, he realised, had sacrificed herself for him and Albion. he couldn't let her down, and the countless others who were counting on him. But, now he had the Dynbyr to worry about. They had the Resurrection Cup, and Arthur as well.

Arthur. Merlin's mind was back on track and he knew what he needed to do. It was time to save the Prince's sorry arse once more.


	8. Dragon Slaying

**A/N: Hello there! Sorry for the delay, had some tech issues and it's been REALLY nice out so I've been chillaxing on the lake :) This should be the second-to-last chapter, as the plot seems to be winding down! I hope you enjoy this chapter! A bit more Arthur/Merlin bromance for you there!**

**WARNING: There is a bit of whump near the middle (Whipping an such) so If that makes you uncomfortable then you can skip towards the end!**

Chapter 8 Dragon Slaying

When Merlin got out of the Elfven castle, he found that it was built into the side of a large hill covered in weeds and grass. The door he came out of was covered by a wall of mossy vines hanging around the opening of a cave. The only way he could see it was, in fact, a castle was by the small silver flowers that grew around the entrance, letting off a sparkling glow that was definitely magical.

Merlin could still hear screams from inside, but he needed to find Arthur and the cup. He didn't even know where to start! He knew that the Dynbyr had it, although why he had no idea, and that they would probably bring it to some sort of camp for safe keeping.

Merlin was extremely nervous. He didn't know much at all about the Dynbyr, and that made facing them even more terrifying. He didn't know how many there were or what kind of magic, if any, they possessed. But he didn't have time to ponder the actions of the Dynbyr; he had to find the camp first.

Looking around him, he saw that he was no longer in possession of the Book of Lore. He knew very few spells without it, and didn't know how much use those would be against the Dynbyr. Luckily, he remembered the spell he had used earlier to find Shimmers Pass.

_"Ætíewan mec ealdgeweorc fram fuhlas ansíen," _he called into the wilderness. Merlin felt himself being lifted into the air, flying like a bird. Glancing around, he found that he was east of the Forest of Ascetir. To the north, beyond the tall trees and rolling fields, he could make out the tall trails of smoke dancing in the sky. He knew, or at least had a conjecture that it was the Dynbyr camp he was looking for.

Once he reached the ground, he began to make his way over towards the camp. After travelling until the sun was high in the sky, he reached the edge of the camp.

The camp seemed to be positioned in a small valley, huts lining the side and a large grassy centre where a plethora of Dynbyr were talking. On both ends of the valley were Dynbyr guarding the camp with long spears. Merlin observed the camp from behind some trees, trying to spot his friends. After the longest time, he saw a tall, blonde head peak out of a tent near the other side. Arthur was quickly pulled back in, but now Merlin knew where he wanted to go. He was about to move when he heard a rustling behind him.

Turning, Merlin saw two Dynbyr pointing crude wooden spears at him.

"Are you the one they call Emrys?" one asked. "Missus said to bring you in." Merlin noticed that he was trying to sound tough, yet he heard an underlying layer of fear in the tone. Merlin realised that the Dynbyr knew of his magic and were afraid. For a moment, he wondered if Arthur knew, but then thought of how he could use this to his advantage.

"Indeed, I am Emrys. I have more magic than you will ever imagine! If you do not want to die, I suggest you leave me alone!" He tried to make his voice mysterious, and it seemed to be working, until he heard a familiar laughter come up from behind him. Whipping his head around, he came face to face with Morgause.

"Oh Merlin, you are _so _cute!" Morgause was wearing a dark green gown and had her hair in immaculate curls. "You don't know the first thing about magic. Now, be a good boy and come with us. I want you to see what will happen to your precious land!"

Morgause smiled once more and nodded to the Dynbyr who pulled out some rope and began to tie Merlin's arms together behind his back. He was then led roughly into the camp. All of the Dynbyr stopped and watched him as he went by, and everyone grew eerily quiet.

Finally, Morgause brought them into the centre of the camp and motioned the Dynbyr holding Merlin towards a pole in the middle of it all. Merlin was tied to the pole so his arms circled around it.

"Merlin, Merlin, Merlin," Morgause tutted. "What are we going to do with you? Can't have you ruining the fun, can we? And your friends have been causing quite a bit of trouble for my Dynbyr friends."

"What are you doing with the Dynbyr, Morgause?" Merlin asked, trying to stall the inevitable. He was no idiot; he knew he was tied to a whipping post. Yet his mind didn't seem to want to acknowledge it.

"The Dynbyr were an oppressed people, so I simply egged on their revolution. Nothing serious, just helping them along. Of course, I got the Resurrection Cup in return and can now raise the spirits of my sisters and brothers, and we shall rule all of Albion, starting with Camelot! Now, can I introduce you to some people? In fact, I think you already know them."

Morgause motioned to a tent and out came Arthur, followed by Gwaine and Lancelot. Merlin was relieved to see his friends alive, but noticed their bruises. Apparently they hadn't been treated well, but that was to be expected.

"Now for some fun!" Morgause clapped, "Merlin, I believe you have something to tell Arthur dear over here, care to elaborate?" She said it in a simpering tone, as if speaking to a small child.

Merlin's blood ran cold. Was she really going to make him tell Arthur? Merlin couldn't imagine what would happen. He didn't want to find out.

"What does she mean, Merlin?" Arthur asked. Merlin noticed how weak his voice was, and wanted nothing more to murder Morgause for what she had done to his friends.

"Nothing, it's nothing." He tried to sound reassuring, but knew it wasn't working.

"Oh Merlin, if you don't want to tell him that's okay." Morgause walked over to him, blocking his view of Arthur. "We can always just _show_ him what we're speaking of."

"What?" Merlin hissed. "It's my magic. You can't force it out of me."

"Pain does strange things to a person; it often makes him revaluate his priorities." Morgause sounded very excited, which scared Merlin. He knew what was coming, and made sure he was well prepared.

"Glace," Morgause called, and a Dynbyr stepped forward, a long leather whip in his hand. Merlin saw that it was a cat o' nine tails whip, the end flaying out into smaller pieces of leather, making it even more painful. Merlin had seen one or two whippings, not for pleasure, of course, but on duty with Arthur. He knew that they were a horrible experience and left sores that sometimes stayed for life.

Glace moved towards him and Merlin tensed up. "Let's start with twenty lashes," Morgause said calmly.

Merlin felt as if his body was on fire. He held in his cries of pain, knowing Arthur was standing near. Just as he was about to recover, the whip came down again, reigniting the flames. Merlin bit his lip to keep in the screams as it came back down.

Over and over again the whip landed on his back. Each time it felt like a thousand knives ripping him to shreds. He could feel the parts that were affected over and over again and felt tears in his eyes. He hadn't cried out until the sixteenth lash. Then, he let out a bellowing cry, as if the louder he shouted, the easier it would be to bear the pain.

With each lash, his back arched, and soon he could no longer hold his body upright. He slumped against the pole, all of his strength going to keep his magic under wraps. He would not break. He was stronger than all of that.

Finally, it stopped. The pain continued, but the worst was over. He still felt the blood dripping out and the flesh curling back, but his back was assaulted no more. In his painful haze he looked over at Arthur, who had tears streaming down his face.

Merlin's heart immediately went out to him. It wasn't fair that Arthur was affected so much, and Merlin would give anything to take that look off his friends face.

"Well, that was interesting," Morgause said. "You are stronger than I thought."

"You can't break me," Merlin growled, trying to sound fierce without crying.

"Yes, I see that you won't be broken by personal pain. Yet...I wonder..." Morgause let the sentence trail off and snapped for Glace, who came running forward. She whispered something in his ear and Glace smiled.

"Bring the prince forward." Glace smiled evilly, and Arthur was dragged towards Merlin. He was thrown on the ground, his hands splayed out in front of him. Merlin knew what was going to happen before it did, but still couldn't hold back a cry as the whip came down on Arthur's back.

"_NO!"_ he shouted, straining from the bonds, not caring about his own injuries as the whip went down on Arthur again. Arthur didn't shout but Merlin could see him grit his teeth in pain. The whip continued to strike him, slashing open the red shirt and drenching it with blood. It triggered something in him, and he felt his magic bubble up and push out of him, surging towards Arthur and knocking Glace out of the way.

Merlin saw Arthur look up at him in astonishment. He knew.

He knew, he knew, he knew, _he knew._

Arthur felt the pain, but it never reached his brain. He was more focused on Merlin's bleeding form hanging limply on the pole. He had never wanted to kill someone as much as he had the moment when the whip began to rip Merlin's back.

Then the little man, Glace, came over and began to whip him. Yet all Arthur could see was Merlin's shuddering body and the piercing screams that left his mouth. Then, he saw the flash of golden in his eyes, and felt the pain leave him and saw Glace being knocked to the side.

Magic. Merlin had magic.

At first, Arthur denied it. He tried to tell himself it was a trick of the light, that Morgause had done it, that something had happened and caused Glace to leave and him to heal. Yet he knew he was lying to himself.

Then he remembered it all. All of the moments when things had mysteriously moved out of his way or he had healed miraculously. And then he remembered Dragoon, and how strongly his distrust of the old man had affected Merlin. He now realised that his truest friend was also a snarky old man.

As he was dealing with these revelations, he heard Morgause laugh. Putting his thoughts aside, he looked up at her.

"Take the prince and his magician to a tent. The other two can go back to their cage. I think Merlin needs to have a little talk with Arthur." Morgause smiled and Arthur felt himself being dragged into a dark tent. After his carriers left he heard a thump and saw another body thrown in.

As he saw Merlin's unmoving form on the ground, all thoughts of anger and distrust left his mind. All he could see was Merlin curled on the ground, sobs racking his body.

"Merlin," he began, and Merlin pushed himself up.

"Arthur, I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to...I just...You've got to believe me, I never meant to hurt anyone...I-"

Arthur cut him off by wrapping his arms around the smaller man. He couldn't say he trusted Merlin completely, but he knew Merlin was Dragoon, and despite his faults, Dragoon would never harm him.

"It's okay. I don't hate you."

Merlin looked up as Arthur let go of him. "That's good," he said, smiling.

The two began to talk, Merlin explaining his story to Arthur and all that he had gone through. Arthur at first thought it was insane, but then realised that he now understood his friend even more.

Soon after the sun had set, it seemed Merlin's injuries caught up with him, and he fell asleep. Arthur laid him on the ground and went over to the other side of the tent. He knew he should sleep, but there was too much on his mind.

Merlin with magic. A few weeks ago, he would have considered it crazy, and maybe even hated Merlin. Now, he was learning that not everything was separated into black and white, evil and good.

It scared him that all of the ideas he had been taught could be wrong, but he was also happy. Merlin had finally let him in on everything, and Arthur thought it had brought them even closer.

Now, all that was left was the small matter of saving the kingdom. Arthur smiled, knowing that, with Merlin, things would be okay.


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: Wow! The end already! Excuse the wait, I've had some friends over recently and I'd forgotten how much _effort _a social life takes! I hope you all enjoy this chatper, and I thank EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU for reading this! Special thanks and love to all those who have reviewed and/or favourited/alerted this story. It means a lot!**

**In the future? Well, yu should expect a little more Merlin, maybe some Harry, some Sherlock (new obsession!) and maybe some good, old-fashioned, Doctor Who! I JUST HAVE SO MANY FANGIRL FEELINGS! You know how it is... *sigh***

**Also, you can find me on tumblr at "flyingthetardistopigfarts(.)tumblr(.)com" (remove parentheses) for fun Sherlockness and Merliness as well as general fandomness!**

**Last, but CERTIANLY not least, a HUGE thank you to my supermegafoxyawesomehot beta, Imperial Mint! (You should REALLY read her story To the world that never let you be and, really, ALL THE STORIES cause she's just epic :)**

***sniff* it's been great! Enjoy this chapter! (shit, that AN was long...)**

Opening his eyes, Merlin looked around the small tent. Arthur, he noticed, was already up.

"Morning," Arthur said quietly, as if he was afraid. Merlin was confused for a minute, and then it all came rushing back to him.

"Arthur, I-"

"No, I understand now. You thought it was best," Arthur replied. "I trust you to make the best decisions for yourself, and I know you thought I would turn you in."

"I'm sorry." Merlin said the words with a finality and both dropped the conversation, giving each other one small smile. Neither were very good at outwardly showings of emotions, and even simple words were outside their realm of knowledge.

Yet both knew that the other cared and even loved the other, maybe not in a romantic way, but in the way of brothers nonetheless.

They sat in a companionable silence for a few minutes, drinking in the fact that they were both safe.

"Merlin, one more thing," Arthur began cautiously, not wanting to break the silence, but curious all the same. "You're Dragoon, right?"

Merlin just smiled at him, giving a swift nod.

"Makes sense." And Arthur was right. He had always thought there was a bit of Merlin hidden in the crazy old warlock. In fact, everything was so much clearer now that he knew Merlin's secret.

More silence fell over them, but it lasted only a few minutes.

The flap of the tent flew open and Merlin was suddenly yanked to his feet. He was then dragged out into the sunlight by a Dynbyr. He was blinded for a second, and when his vision cleared he saw that the whipping post had been moved and there was nothing but an empty circular area.

"Ah, here comes the famed hero!" Morgause's cry rang out through the trees. "Emrys! The one who is to unite Albion! Care to put your powers to the test?" She gave a small chuckle and muttered some words. A small ball of fire appeared in her palm and she began to twist it around, as if taunting Merlin.

"Morgause, I've already fought, and beaten, Nimueh, one of the high priestesses of the Old Religion. I highly doubt you can beat me." Merlin tried to put on a brave face, but inside he was shaking. He knew that Morgause had an advantage this time; the Resurrection Cup. If she really was part demon, she could win. Merlin knew he needed to beat Morgause before she had time to reach the cup.

However, his first priority was to escape. He needed to find out where Lancelot and Gwaine were and get them and Arthur out. Although his wounds were okay (he assumed his magic had helped in some way) he knew that Arthur needed his cleaned as to avoid infection.

He looked around and saw Arthur behind him, also held by a Dynbyr. He noticed how ashen Arthur's face was and how his legs were shaking from supporting his body. Merlin didn't like seeing him so weak.

Merlin continued to scan for any exits, but they were all blocked by Dynbyr with spears. He sensed Morgause's impatience.

"Come along, _Emrys_," Morgause spat out the name. "Let us begin our battle! I find it is always more heroic to die in battle." She gave a small smirk.

Merlin glared at her. "I don't need to fight you."

"Oh, but I think I have a proposition you would like. You see, I have these two nice young men," she motioned to a tent which opened to let out two ragged men. Lancelot and Gwaine.

"Winner takes these lovely men in a fight to the death. Sounds nice?" She gave a small smile once more, her knowing, taunting smile.

Instead of answering, Merlin whispered a spell.

"_Trinda sylfum __æledfý!"_ He felt the power course through him and smiled as the ball of fire flew towards Morgause. She laughed happily as she blocked it.

"Now we're getting somewhere!" She let out another ball of pure energy, which Merlin had to roll to the side to avoid.

Calming his mind, Merlin began to battle.

Arthur was used to surprises, even more these past days, but nothing could prepare him for the power that seemed to radiate off of Merlin. His simple servant who couldn't walk on a flat surface without tripping, was whirling around, shooting light, fire and wind at Morgause, his eyes alight.

Arthur watched in wonder as both sides kept up a witty stream of banter, but he could sense the underlying tension. He would glance over towards Lancelot and Gwaine every few minutes, making sure both of his trusted knights were alive. He was glad to see they seemed to be fine but for a few minor cuts and bruises. Yet his attention could never stray from Merlin for too long.

Suddenly, Morgause's battle face tured to one of pure glee and her gaze focused on a point behind Arthur. Arthur turned to see the Ressurection Cup being brought to the centre.

"Finally! Well, this has been terribly fun, my dear Emrys, but I must be going now! I shall leave my cousins to deal with you and your pesky friends." She then began to speak in what Arthur had taken to calling 'the magic language'. "_Broc __mín ríce ond se sylfum þes æscen be oynnestre fram begeondan beánbelgas sylfum déadhrægl!"_ Morgause repeated this sort of mantra over and over again, and soon the Ressurection Cup was the base of a swirling black tornado.

In the tornado swam hundreds of pale faces, all frozen in a face of agony, their eyes screwed up and teeth clenched. With them came a horrifying wailing sound, like that of a woman being tortured. Arthur wasn't often scared of things, but the screams and faces sent shivers down his spine.

He heard Morgause cackling and saw Merlin, as shellshocked as he, frozen in place with the tornado moving steadly closer. then, Merlin seemed to collect his wits and began to recite a long and complicated stream of words, each seemingly shot out with the force of a catapult. The words almost burned in the air, and each made a small dent in the tornado. Arthur saw the faces turn from pain to fear, following the pattern of Morgause's own face.

"You're not strong enough! You are but a mere boy! You-you can't have that type of power!" She shouted fearfully.

Merlin gave a harsh laugh, a sound Arthur hoped he would never hear again. The malice and anger were clear, as was the power that lay in the hands of Merlin. "Morgause, one of your worst faults is that you constantly underestimate people! You clearly have never heard the full legend of Emrys, how he is said to be born of magic itself, a child of nothing but pure power; how he is famed to have control over all things, be the one who would see the downfall of his enemies in the blink of an eye. You have been tormenting me for far too long, and it is time for your death!"

He began sending spell after spell towards Morgause, making the witch more and more nervous. Finally, Merlin seemed to shout up towards the skies, sending a bolt of lightning down on Morgause. With one last cry, she turned to dust, taking the cloud of blackness with her.

All around him, the Dynbyr let go. They dropped their spears and weapons, let go of Arthur, Gwaine and Lancelot, and began to scream. The sound was terrifying. Each and every small man then erupted into a column of flames. Their bodies were soon reduced to dust much like Morgauses. Arthur wanted to be confused, but his attention was quickly taken by Merlin's slumped figure on the ground.

"Merlin!" he cried, rushing over as fast as his back would let him. "Are you okay?"

"...too much power..." Merlin murmured. "Need...help."

"What kind of help? What do I do?" Arthur cried frantically. He had never felt so helpless than when his best friend was lying, nearly dead, on the ground in front of him. He had already seen Merlin die once and didn't want it to happen again.

"Dragon..." Merlin whispered before going limp.

Arthur had no idea what 'dragon' meant, but quickly called Gwaine and Lancelot over. Neither man had any idea what it meant, but they all soon found out as a great shadow covered the now-empty clearing.

The shape of a dragon, the Great Dragon Arthur had defeated all those months ago, soon landed near Merlin. Arthur reached for his scabbard, but found he was swordless.

"Calm, young prince, you need not panic, I am a friend." The dragon spoke in a gravelly voice, bending his head to Merlin.

"Stop! You can't touch him!" Arthur cried, moving towards his friend and the great beast.

"Did Merlin not tell you? He is the last Dragonlord. I am the only one who can heal him." The dragon spoke with such finality that Arthur had no choice but to trust him. Besides, he really was their last hope. Arthur had no idea how to fix a magical illness or injury.

The dragon opened his maw and let out a rush of hot air that seemed to shimmer in the light. Merlin's chest rose and a smile appeared on his face. Soon, he looked less like a dead man and more like a sleeping man.

The dragon turned to the three men. "I suppose you have questions?"

"Yes," Arthur began, each of his thousands of questions fighting for first place. "What the _hell_ happened here?" He motioned to the piles of dust lying around.

The dragon gave a sigh. "They Dynbyr made a pact with Morgause, a sort of soul-binding. They traded the secrets of their lives and all of the feelings in their soul for Morgause's help in their revolution. They did not, however, realise how strong the bond was until they burnt up with Morgause."

"So they just burnt?" Gwaine asked, looking at the dragon skeptically.

"Indeed, Sir Gwaine," he said with finality. "Now, Merlin shall wake soon, but he will still be weak. Gwaine, Lancelot, you must help the young prince and warlock return to the castle. There they will receive treatment for their injuries."

Gwaine and Lancelot just nodded, both looked at Arthur at the ludicrous idea of taking orders from a large, talking dragon. Arthur returned them with a look that said _I am your prince, do as I say _and the two just nodded.

"Thank you," Arthur said as the dragon was about to take flight, "for all of your help."

The dragon almost smiled for a moment before letting out his wings and taking flight.

Arthur, Gwaine, and Lancelot watched the great shape until it was just a pinpoint in the sky before turning their attention back to Merlin. Soon, Merlin began to stir.

"Merlin," Arthur asked, getting down on his knees, "are you feeling better now?"

"M'fine," Merlin replied sleepily, but he smiled up at Arthur to let the prince know they were more than just empty words.

"Dragonlord?" Lancelot chuckled from behind them. "_That_ I was not expecting."

Gwaine laughed and Merlin and even Arthur chuckled weakly. It was proof of how much they had been through that the small quip was even funnier than normal.

Arthur helped Merlin up, and they four men found some horses and supplies within the deserted camp. After explaining all that had happened to Merlin, they set out back to Camelot.

Arthur didn't know what he was going to say to his father, let alone Gaius, but he knew that things would only get better. He understood Merlin even more, and thought that their bond had strengthened even more.

Arthur's eyes had been opened to the changes in the world, and his ever-shielded opinion had changed drastically.

_When I'm king,_ he thought to himself as Gwaine laughed as Merlin changed the colour of his horse to a striking blue, _things will be different, and Merlin won't have to hide anymore._

Smiling at his promise, he let himself be swept away in his friendship, hoping it would never leave.


End file.
